William and Kate: a Royal Love Story

William and Kate: A Royal Love Story
Christopher Andersen
Published by Gallery Books, A division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 2011
ISBN 978-1-4516-2145-7
312 p. Illustrated.

In Canada I would be considered a Monarchist and probably that would be obvious given my 100% British ancestry as far back as I can trace although my mtDNA does say I am likely from Argyllshire, Scotland. Hence my reading books about the Royal Family fits quite neatly into my reading regimen. Reading a book about Prince William and Kate his bride to be is especially not surprising given the ancestry of Prince William's mother Diana, Princess of Wales. Diana's father was the VIIIth Earl Spencer and the son of the 7th Earl Spencer and Lady Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton. Lady Cynthia was the daughter of the 3rd Duke of Abercorn. The mother of the Duke was Lady Maria Anna Curzon-Howe. Lady Maria was the daughter of Anne Gore. Anne was the daughter of Adm. Sir John Gore. Sir John's father was Colonel John Gore. John's mother was Dorothy Manley and her mother was Mary Newland. Mary's mother was Mary Blake the daughter of Thomas Blake and Dorothy Mayowe.

This Thomas Blake was the son of Thomas Blake and Eleanor Hall who lived at Eastontown near Andover Hampshire. The father of Thomas was John Blake and his mother was Margaret Blake. The Blake Pedigree at the Swindon and Wiltshire Record Office shows that the fathers of both John and Margaret were a William Blake at Eastontown. In one case William Blake married to Avice Ripley and the other not stated on the chart. If indeed Prince William is descendant of the Andover Blake family then he would be my many times cousin which is somewhat fascinating. A relationship I rather think I would share with several thousand people or perhaps tens of thousands. My husband and I share common ancestry with only two sets of people. He is descended from the ancestors of Diana, Princess of Wales through her mother and with Jim Sturgis who is related to him through the Kipp family and to me through the Gray family.

The book itself is an interesting read. One wonders if it is somewhat fiction in that it isn't a biography where he had contact with the two main characters in the story Prince William and Kate Middleton. He also has to rely on the reporting of the paparazzi and I tend to never look at or read anything that is obtained by such methods although gave exception to the book since it does tend to attack their means of obtaining information although did make use of some of it.

I think the saddest image I can remember except for close personal happenings was the televised funeral of Diana Princess of Wales when her two sons joined the funeral cortege following the coffin of their mother. What it cost those children can never really be measured. It has probably created in them a hardness and a tenderness all at the same time which will likely steady them through life but also provide some harrowing remembrances as they proceed forward in time.

I expect their wedding will be viewed by billions around the world and provide an uplift to the spirit of the world now dampened by the many earthquakes, tsunamis and other tragedies that are ongoing.

I would recommend the book although have not summarized it to any great extent perhaps because I do not really agree with opening up their private lives to such scrutiny although when one lives in a fish bowl it is difficult to avoid such reporting.